Best Emergency Management Schools Near Ruston, LA (2026)

Ruston, Louisiana has 1 accredited school offering emergency management programs, with tuition ranging from $8,864 to $19,652 per year for indexed programs. Ruston has a population of about 22,224. Median household income is $32,765 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Louisiana, the top-earning emergency management-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $96,550 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Emergency Management Schools to Ruston

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer emergency management programs near Ruston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ruston city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Ruston. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA 60.7 miles from Ruston BOC Score 45.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,021
Avg net price $13,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Herzing University-New Orleans

Metairie, LA 227.2 miles from Ruston BOC Score 37.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,909
Avg net price $21,269/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,450
Out‑of‑state$13,450
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 46%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of New Orleans

New Orleans, LA 230.2 miles from Ruston BOC Score 45.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,872
Avg net price $12,384/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Delgado Community College

New Orleans, LA 230.9 miles from Ruston BOC Score 41.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,305
Avg net price $9,747/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, LA 232.7 miles from Ruston BOC Score 68.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,268
Avg net price $39,949/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Louisiana schools on the Louisiana emergency management page.


Emergency Management Wages Near Ruston

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Louisiana, statewide)
Emergency Management Director$96,550
Firefighter$33,120
Emergency Medical Technician$35,870
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$59,750

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Ruston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population22,224Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$32,765Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+42.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Ruston-Area Cities With Emergency Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited emergency management schools are near Ruston, LA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering emergency management programs near Ruston. The closest is Northwestern State University of Louisiana in Natchitoches, LA (60.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northwestern State University of Louisiana (60.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying emergency management roles in Louisiana?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying emergency management-related roles in Louisiana are: Emergency Management Director ($96,550), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($59,750), Emergency Medical Technician ($35,870). Wages for Ruston workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Monroe instead of Ruston?

Monroe, LA is 32.6 miles from Ruston and has its own set of local emergency management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Ruston an affordable place to study emergency management?

Ruston’s median household income of $32,765 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ruston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Louisiana public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Emergency Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Ruston

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Ruston:

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.